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Thursday, October 01, 2009

CANADIAN LABOUR MANITOBA:

MANITOBA HYDRO STRIKE NOTICE:

The following news item from the CBC comes Molly's way via the Winnipeg Wobbly Blog, the blog of our local branch of the IWW. Keep your eyes trained on said blog for notice of any upcoming solidarity actions. Also look over at the website of IBEW Local 2034 for more on the union point of view on this strike.

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Local: Union hits Manitoba Hydro with strike notice:This is one we will be watching. We'll post info if the branch do any solidarity support.-----Union hits Manitoba Hydro with strike notice Nearly 3,000 unionized workers have given a 48-hour strike notice to Manitoba Hydro.After counting the votes on the latest contract offer from the Crown corporation, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) declared Wednesday evening that its workers rejected the offer.

The main issues of dispute in the negotiations have been salaries and length of the contract, said LaurisKleven, business manager with the IBEW.

Conciliation meetings are scheduled for Thursday but the workers could be on the picket lines as early as Friday. If they do go on strike, it would be the first one to hit the utility in its 48-year history.

Another 1,300 workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, as well as 300 more who belong to the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, are also in negotiations with Hydro. (Seems to me that all three unions should have arranged to go out at once- Molly )

Contracts between Hydro and all three unions have expired, with the IBEW agreement expiring in April.

Hydro spokesperson Glenn Schneider previously told CBC News that the corporation is not prepared to discuss details about the negotiations.

"We are making plans to do what we can to maintain service if a strike were to occur," he said at the time.

Electrical workers, truck drivers, transmission techs, clerical and customer service workers, would be included in a strike.